I had the chance recently to sit down with Scott Bohachyk. He’s the Youth Director at Oceanwise which is a non-profit conservation organization inspiring action to conserve our oceans. They describe themselves as an organization whose vision is a world in which oceans are healthy and flourishing, bearing in mind of course that its the ocean that gives us the air we breathe and the wonder of life.Scott has built a global network that includes governments, industry, universities and non-profits all in the name of solutions to the complex environmental challenges of our time.
His focus areas recently have been an ocean free of plastic, sea forestation and the changing arctic. His work within these teams is creating programs that have empowered over 500,000 people each year to protect and restore the ocean. Scott is directing an Oceanwise program called Waves of Change which includes a travelling presentation with an inflatable dome that students go in and get an immersive visual experience of the under water world.
I’m so glad that there are people like Scott who are bringing this critical information to students. At one point in this discussion, I raise the point that when a teacher finds themself saying that a particular lesson is so important or that students need to know this or that, my challenge is to ask themself with critical care…is it really that important or do they really need to know that? There are aspects of science that I believe ARE in the category of NEED to know, and ARE so important.
The science of ocean chemistry and the atmospheric changes brought on by energy production require education and awareness if in fact we want our students to be equipped with the knowledge and skills that can bring us back into an equilibrium with nature.
The traditional science curriculum should reflect the changing world we live in and there are wonderful ways to adapt it to a more modern application. One of the first things teachers should do then is equip themselves with the knowledge and understand what’s going on. And Scott Bohachyk may be your starting point.
This is what I would call a “mindset” discussion. There is a lot here to get you thinking and hopefully spur your teaching on to include lessons about the health and potential future state of our oceans.
Find Oceanwise at https://ocean.org
Something all #teachers should do is equip themselves with the knowledge and understanding of what’s going on scientifically in the world. And Scott Bohachyk may be your starting point. Click To Tweet
